


when rome's in ruins

by i_was_human



Category: Lost in Translation (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Monument 14 Fusion, Angst, Feels, Gen, Haircuts, M/M, Murder, Post-Apocalypse, Reunions, dongsung could be platonic or romantic, no beta we die like random lady
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29048211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_was_human/pseuds/i_was_human
Summary: dongho and minsung find each other in the ruins of seoul, and though they don't know each other, anything's better than being alone.
Relationships: Im Youngjoon | Young J & Lee Minsung & Moon Kyunghun, Kang Dongho | D.Min & Kim Daehyun, Kang Dongho | D.Min & Lee Minsung, Kang Dongho | D.Min/Lee Minsung, Kim Taeseok & Lee Minsung
Kudos: 7





	when rome's in ruins

There's nobody outside.

Old posters flap in the wind, the deep-red sky overhead casting the streets in an unearthly sort of glow. Bodies lie on the sidewalks, blood splattered over the street, and for a moment, there's no sound.

That is, until a growl rips through the air.

A dark-haired man raises his head, eyes widening at the sight of a looming figure at the edge of the street. It's impossible to say how it looks to him - it could be a writhing mass of tentacles, could be a hoard of rats, could be a giant set on death - but no matter what it is, he runs. 

His pursuer sprints after him, bloodied teeth bared in a sickening grin, and the man simply runs faster, worn-out sneakers pounding against the pavement.

Unfortunately, it's a losing battle.

His pursuer tackles him to the ground, and the man kicks him in the chin, scrambling into the nearest store and flicking the lights on. The air purifier in the store whirrs to life, and it's this, more than anything else, that saves him.

His pursuer sprints into the store, tackling him to the ground and slamming his head into the shelves. He bares his teeth, ready to rip and tear and kill-

and stops.

Around them, the diseased air that started this slowly dissipates, cleaned by the numerous air purifiers littered around the store, and slowly, slowly, the red tint fades from the pursuer's eyes.

"Where...?"

He blinks, gaze flitting around the store, and he stares down - first at his hands, then at the man lying under him, eyes shut and blood seeping from a cut on his forehead.

" _Fuck_. Hey, hey, are you okay?"

He wipes his hands on his ripped and stained sweatpants, grimacing when the blood refuses to come off. He doesn't know how long it's been there, doesn't know how long it's been or where he is or what happened, but he does know three things for certain.

One: his name is Lee Minsung.

Two: he's supposed to be at ISC.

Three: he is not at ISC.

* * *

When Dongho comes to, it's to a pounding in his head.

He groans, going to sit up, but a hand pushes him back towards the floor, someone "tsk"ing at him as they do.

"Don't sit up yet. Your head bled a lot..."

Dongho frowns, bewildered - why would his head be bleeding? - before a snippet of memory comes back.

Monsters.

Monsters, chasing him, and he ran, and kept running, ran until he couldn't and then ran some more-

"Hey, hey," the person murmurs, and Dongho sucks in a ragged breath as his hand rests against the person's chest. "Can you breathe with me?"

Dongho doesn't think he can.

"In... out... in... out..."

It takes a few minutes for the haze to clear, and he blinks at the ceiling, exhaustion weighing him down.

What happened?

"Wh...?"

"I don't know either," the person murmurs, and Dongho lets them hoist him up against the shelves, deft fingers prodding at the bandage wrapped around his forehead. "I just woke up, and I was lying on top of you..."

Dongho squints at the person - _man_ , he thinks - and takes in the grown-out roots, the matted and blood-stained hair, and feels a strange combination of nihilism and horror.

"Not like that!" the man protests, and Dongho stares at him, weariness weighing him down. "I think... I was going to kill you."

"Wow," Dongho drawls, before promptly wincing at how rough his voice sounds. "Thanks for not killing me, I guess."

"Yeah..." the man trails off, expression darkening, and Dongho stares at him, gaze tracing the planes of his face for an instant.

It's a little sharper, a little hollower, but make no mistake - it's Lee Minsung.

"You...?"

Minsung sighs, reaching up to rake a hand through his clumped and tangled hair. "You're my brother's groupmate, aren't you?"

Dongho nods, and Minsung sighs once more, gaze drifting around the convenience store. "...let's see if we can find some clothes. I really wanna get out of mine."

"Yeah."

* * *

On Dongho's insistence, they wear masks.

Minsung scowls at the deep-red sky, arms coming up to rub his bare arms for warmth. Luckily, the white tee he was wearing under his jacket is still relatively clean, so there's _that_ , at least.

Dongho's opted to keep his blood-stained jacket, and the violet fabric hangs off his waist, revealing bare arms coated in scratches and bruises.

Minsung remembers what Dongho said - that breathing the air made him hallucinate - and for a moment, he wonders if those scratches were self-inflicted or not.

"Focus," Dongho warns, and Minsung nods, pushing a few wayward strands of hair out of his face.

_Fuck_ , though, his hair's long. He _hates_ having it this long, and it being caked in blood and other substances doesn't help at all.

"...so," he starts, after they've been walking for a while, "what do you like to do?"

"Dance," Dongho simply replies, side-stepping another rotting corpse. "And you?"

"Sing," Minsung grins, and Dongho nods, pushing a strand of hair out of his face.

"You're the main vocal, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Minsung grins, and Dongho nods once more. "And you?"

"Main rapper, lead dancer."

That explains the grace, at least. 

"You know, Youngjoon-ah is a good singer too," Minsung supplies, despite knowing Dongho really didn't ask. "He just doesn't sing a lot. He's really good, though."

"He's the blue-haired one who carried Daehyun-ah over the finish line, right?"

"Mhm," Minsung hums, and Dongho nods.

"...I wonder if Daehyun-ah is okay. He hurt his ankle in the race, you know..."

Minsung wishes he could say something to reassure him. Wishes he knew if Kyunghun or Youngjoon or Hyunjin or Taeseok were safe.

But he _doesn't_.

"Yeah," he simply murmurs, digging his nails into his blood-coated hands. "I wonder, too."

* * *

They end up raiding a department store for supplies.

Minsung takes advantage of the bathrooms and scrubs some of the blood out of his hair, grimacing as the water's tainted brown-red in a hurry. Dongho, on the other hand, grabs anything they might need - clothes, food, water bottles, weapons - and when Minsung asks about the last one, Dongho just gives him a look.

Ouch.

Still, at least they get to change out of their blood-stained ISC outfits.

Minsung ends up in a pair of skinny jeans and a t-shirt for some band he doesn't even know, while Dongho somehow managed to locate a leather jacket and jeans of his own. He's hacked at his hair with any scissors they could find, and it looks absolutely horrible, leading Minsung to drag him into the bathroom and cut it himself.

"You've done this before?" Dongho asks, and Minsung shrugs, chopping off another lock of black hair.

"Not really. It's better than you doing it yourself, though."

He brushes a few strands off Dongho's shoulders, lips curling into a grin, and Dongho stares at his reflection, eyes narrowed.

"Not bad," he finally replies, and MInsung grins, placing the scissors on the desk.

"I know, right?"

"Now it's your turn."

"What?"

Fifteen minutes and a lot of chopping later, Minsung's head is considerably lighter. Locks of pink hair litter the floor, and as he runs a hand through his hair, he's surprised to find that it feels _clean_.

"You look good," Dongho states, and Minsung glances at the mirror, taking in his two-toned hair. Dongho's right - it _does_ look good.

"...thanks, Dongho-ssi."

"Don't mention it," Dongho simply replies, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. "C'mon. You need to grab some things."

* * *

It only takes four hours before they have to kill someone.

A woman's howl rings through the air, and Dongho wheels, grip tight on his baseball bat. He can see a woman sprinting towards them, business dress torn and ruined, and just as she lunges for Minsung, he swings the bat into her skull.

A sickening crack rings through the air, and Minsung screams, stumbling back as the woman collapses to the ground. "Oh god, oh god, you just-"

The woman crawls forwards, broken and bloodied nails clawing at Minsung's feet, and the idol squares his jaw before stomping on her head, tears shimmering in his eyes as she wails and screams. 

It takes nine kicks before she stops moving. 

Nine kicks, and Minsung stumbles back, leaning over to retch in a trashcan.

Nine kicks, and Dongho nudges her head with his boots, grimacing at the sight of the new corpse.

"Shit," he breathes, and Minsung raises his head, tears mixing with the bile dripping from his chin.

"How- how're you-"

A distant howl echoes through the empty city, and Dongho grabs Minsung's hand, hauling him forwards as a hoard starts to gather.

"She- she's-"

"She's dead," Dongho breathes, interlacing his gloved fingers with Minsung's. "She's- she's dead, but she was going to kill us. It was self defense."

"...was I like that?"

Dongho stares at him for a moment, pity flickering in his eyes, and Minsung stares down at his gloved hands, a fresh wave of revulsion washing over him. "I was- I was like that. How many people have I killed?"

"I don't know," Dongho honestly replies, and Minsung's hand flies up to cover his mouth, glassy eyes shimmering with tears. 

"I was- I could've killed you. I _would've_ killed you."

"But you didn't," Dongho states, tugging him into a store and locking it behind them. "You didn't, and that's what matters."

" _No, it isn't_!"

"Hey."

Dongho's hand comes up to rest on the back of his neck, and Minsung blinks at him, tears shimmering in his eyes.

"What...?"

"You're not gonna be alone," Dongho simply replies, and Minsung-

doesn't know what to say to that.

"...what if we find Minsoo-yah?"

"I'm sticking with you," Dongho states, and Minsung blinks, bewildered.

"Why? We _just met_."

"It's the end of the world," Dongho shrugs, patting Minsung's shoulder in a way he thinks is supposed to be consoling. "The more the merrier."

Minsung somehow has the feeling that there's more than just that, but he lets the subject drop.

* * *

Minsung's honestly not sure how long it's been just him and Dongho.

They spend the days searching the city for survivors, and the nights curled up together, Dongho's arms wrapped around Minsung and their jackets tossed over them like blankets. It's not fun, and Minsung can't remember the last time he wasn't wearing a mask, but it's not lonely, either.

Being with Dongho is nice, he thinks.

Maybe if the world hadn't ended, they could've been happier.

But as it is, Minsung's just so happy to be with someone kind.

Speaking of.

Dongho has, _somehow_ , managed to pick up a _cat_.

It's the ugliest fucking thing Minsung's ever seen - a flat-faced tabby with one torn ear and a stubby tail - but Dongho seems to think she's the most adorable thing to ever exist, and because Dongho is absolutely adorable when he's cooing to the ugly motherfucker, she stays.

Named Squish, because of course she is. 

In any case.

They're looking around again, Minsung's newly-procured beanie (it's not the one Minsoo gave him, and _fuck_ that wound's never going to heal) hiding his messy hair, and in the end, that's what makes all the difference.

Someone gasps, and boots tap against the pavement as Dongho wheels, hands white-knuckled around the handle of his bat. And Minsung-

he knows these people.

The one without a mask-

"Kyunghun...?"

" _Minsung-hyung_ ," Kyunghun breathes, and before Minsung can move, the younger man's wrapping him in a hug, face buried in his shoulder and hands coming up to grip the back of his jacket.

And Minsung-

Minsung just _sobs_.

He _sobs_ , and his knees nearly give out as a second pair of arms joins in the hug, Youngjoon still managing to smell like the forest even after all this time. It's warm, it's safe, it feels like home, and Kyunghun's crying into his jacket as Youngjoon cups the back of Minsung's head, and _it's them, it's his boys_.

They break after a long, long moment, and Minsung scrubs at his face, sniffing a few times to try and dispel tears. "You- how are you-"

"We found a store with air purifiers," Kyunghun replies, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "The others are still back there."

"The others?"

Kyunghun smiles a bit, and though it's weak, it's clearly genuine. "Come with us."

Minsung grabs Dongho's hand, tugging him forwards, and Youngjoon and Kyunghun both seem surprised.

"Are you sure...?" Kyunghun edges, and Minsung nods, interlacing his fingers with Dongho's. 

"I'm not leaving him behind."

"...alright, then."

Kyunghun gestures to their car, and Minsung snorts at the sight of a beaten-up pick-up truck sitting against a fire hydrant. "Hop in."

* * *

Minsung's a little sad he has to get rid of the mystery band tee.

On the plus side, an _actual shower_.

Not much can beat that, he decides.

He wrings out his hair before changing into the clothes Kyunghun and Youngjoon left - jeans, a new t-shirt, and a hoodie - and heads outside, gaze landing on Dongho.

The sharp-eyed man's leaning against the wall, eyes half-shut and hair dripping in his eyes, and Minsung sidles over to stand next to him, leaning over to bump their shoulders together.

"Hey."

Dongho's head whips up, and he blinks at him, lips settling into the faintest hint of a grin.

"Hey."

"What're you doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

Dongho pushes off from the wall and stuffs his hands into his jacket - a bomber jacket, Minsung notes - before heading for the door, gaze flitting back to Minsung as he reaches for the handle.

"Are you coming?"

Minsung nods, and Dongho pulls open the door, stepping out into the room. Minsung follows, and before anyone can move, he notices three things in rapid succession.

One: there's a man standing against the far wall, cracked glasses askew and eyes wide as he stares at them.

Two: Youngjoon's standing next to him, his arm around his waist and a soft sort of happiness in his eyes.

Three-

"Taeseok-ah!"

Taeseok barrels into Minsung's chest, arms wrapping around his back and head coming to rest against his chest, and Minsung reaches up to stroke his hair, a fresh wave of tears spilling down his cheeks.

Taeseok's here.

Taeseok's here, he's okay, Minsung's youngest is okay, and _god_ , this is more than he could've asked for.

He raises his head, intent on finding Dongho, and _oh_.

Dongho and the wiry man are wrapped in each other's embrace, Dongho's shoulders shaking with sobs and the man's hands fisted in his bomber. Minsung looks at him for a moment, eyes narrowed, and after a minute, he realizes that _oh, this is one of Dongho's groupmates._

When did he start thinking of MAYHEM as Dongho's group and not Minsoo's?

"I missed you," Taeseok gasps, and Minsung banishes the thoughts from his head in favor of holding his dongsaeng close. "I missed you so much, hyung-"

"I know," he murmurs, pressing his cheek to Taeseok's head. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> i got it wrong from the books lmao sorry about that, but here's the symptoms i thought were correct:
> 
> blood type a: hallucinations  
> blood type ab: blisters all over the body, leading to death  
> blood type b: infertility  
> blood type o: blindless rage
> 
> lit blood types:  
> a: dongho, youngjoon, hyunjin, jaewon, daehyun  
> ab: taeseok  
> b: kyunghun  
> o: minsung, minsoo
> 
> leave a comment if you want :3
> 
> fic title from young volcanoes by fall out boy
> 
> [twit](https://twitter.com/i_was_human_) | [lit fic discord!](https://discord.gg/CNunB74)


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